Comparing Frankenstein 'And Daniel Keyes The Color Purple'

Judging individuals deemed “othered” in society is sadly a common phenomenon, so, unsurprisingly, some individuals comment on this issue by writing novels. This is best exhibited in books like Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Although these novels are not typically grouped, all the main characters (Charlie, the Creature, and Celie) share common issues. These include the downfall of mental health as a result of this poor treatment of others, adverse effects on their lives as a result of this outcasting, and religion being used as a way to justify this unjust treatment or provide strength during trivial circumstances. Ultimately, the pressing theme within these novels is

With these issues being targeted toward those deemed less than within society, it is also prevalent that these acts of violence follow the same patterns of insecurity and control seen within slave masters. Celie had to fight off violence between all familial male relationships within her life. Subsequently, this issue regarding mistreatment continues into the novel Frankenstein, best exhibited in Victor's disregard for the safety and autonomy of the Creature. In the article by Harrison and Gannon, they established a fake Institutional Review Board in 1790 to test whether Frankenstein’s experiment was ethical. They found that Victor's abandoned and poorly designed creature brings the moral imperatives of the narrative to light with deep feeling and persuasive reasoning when he meets his maker on the icy fields of the Montavert glacier (Harrison, Gannon). This creates internalized rage within the creature, making him question whether life is worth living, “‘CURSED, CURSED CREATOR! Why did I live in the U.S.? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence that you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession; my feelings were rage and

On the contrary, the use of religion within The Color Purple is used as a way to provide Celie with strength during the most trivial times. Hall makes this connection with Celie’s trauma and religion as “the victim of incest [Celie] had told her mother upon the birth of her child that it was ‘God’s’. Destructive Patriarchal power is associated with God even though this same power is Celie’s textual partner” (Hall). This defiance toward the patriarchal ideas of God is best seen through her writing letters to him as a way to seek peace and refuge, as she explains in a letter, “You better not tell anybody but God. It’d kill your mommy” (Walker). Despite Celie finding tremendous comfort in her faith, there is still a decent amount of questioning about whether it was designed to benefit more dominant individuals within society. It should be noted that Walker uses the novel as a tool to comment on Western Christianity, which is often sexist, racist, and used to empower the